Double-scale pneumatic musical instrument.



T. DANQUARD. DOUBLE SCALE PNEUMATIG MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

'APPLICATION FILED PEB. l, 1908.

Patented oet. 27', 190s.

fija/Wawy UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS DANQUARD, OF NEW YORK, Y.. ASSIMNOR TO AUTOPIANO COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. A (.)ORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

DOUBLE-SCALE PNEUMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENT,

Specification of Letters Patent.

atented Oct. 2 f, 1908.

Application led February '1, 1998. Serial No. 413,727.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known .that I, THOMAS DAQUARD, a

citizen of the United States, residing at New 1 York, in the county of New York and State of New York7 have invented a new and useful Double-Scale Pneumatic Musical Instrument, of which the following is a speciiical tion.

This invention relates to that class of pneumatic musical instruments in which it is desired to use both the ordinary sixty-tive note music sheets and also the full piano or eighty-eight note musicy sheets.

The principal objects of the invention are 3. to provide for accomplishing this without moving the tracker or disturbing it in any way or manipulating thcmusic rolls, and without providing for any covering of soft or fiexible material of doubtful durabilityT for one of the trackers while the other is in use conduits 18 with their `respective conduits 20, Vand to change the connection so as to connect sixty-five. of the conduits 20 with the corresponding,l conduits 17, at the same time disconnezctingl all the conduits 18 from the conduits 20, it will be seen that a very simple arrangement is provided for accomplishing this result. r1`his consists, in the form shown, of a' stationary block 21 fixed 1 on the back of the tracker-box and having a flat surface 22 in which the several channels as has been necessary in some classes of in- E strumests designed for this purpose; also to i provide a construction in which itis not" necessary to use rubber or other iiexihle tubing.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, which show one form in which the invention may be embodied, and in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of one end of the tracker-box showing how the invention may be applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view of the. tracker-box showing part of the action. Fig. 3 is a similar view of the slide valve and connections showing it in another positionand Fig. 4 is a rear elevation of the same.

u In order to accomplish the above mentioned ob'ects and otherwise simplify and iis type of musical instrumenty the improve t y tracker-bonY 10, rolls 11 and 12, and action 13 are constructed in the usual manner, the

action being provided withl a full number; that 1s e1 hty-eight primary pneumaties 14.

The tracer-bar is made in a plurality of parts or at least it is provided with a plurality of sets of note channeis 15 and 16,' each having an individual set of note conduits 17 and 13.

Vhen the invention is designed for eightyeignt note and sixty-five note scales, the tracker or` trackers will be provided with two series of' channels, one for the eightyside the tracker-box.

17,I 18 and 20 terminate, those of each series being'in one or more rows. A slide valve 23 is provided' having a series of openings 24 always communicating with the conduits 20 in all positions of the valve,"a1id having a second series of openings 25 adapted to com-r municate with the open ends of the conduits 17 and 18 in accordance with the position of the valve, and to close the other series or open it to the air as indicated in Figs. 2 and 3. This valve may be on either side of the block, but is shown on the rear, s o that it may be readily accessiblc'for repairs.

Bars 26 are mounted on the back of. the' block and springs 27 arelocated on the back of the slide and bear onthese bars to hold the valve against the surface 22 and keep-,it toits seat. 'lhc slide valve is operated in any convenient way by means of a shaft`30 having" a series of arms 31 connected by links 32 with the slide valve and having' another arm 33 which, with the arms 31, constitutes a lever. The opposite end of this is connected by an adjustable link 34 with one arm' of a bellcrank 35 journaled in bearings in plates 36 Supported by the tracker-box. The other arm of the bell-crank is' connected with a slide 37 which l. isses through 'the end of the tracker-box and has a knob or handle 38 in- The shaft 30 is journaled in bearings on the block 21. It Wlll be seen that the position of the valve can be changed very readily by operating theknob or handle 38. The operation of the device will be clear from what has been stated, and it will be seen that the desired results can be obtained by the use of a single trackerbar with a plurality of sets of note channels, or by 'the use of a plurality ofseparate tracker'- bars each xed 1n stationary position, so that they do not-have to be manipulated or moved in any way.

While l have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of the invention, l am aware that many modifications may be made therein by' an)r person skilled in the art without departing' 'from the scope of the invention as expressed in the claims. not wish to be limited to the details of construction shown, but

lhat l do claim is 1. .ln a pneumatic'musical instrument, the eon'il'iination of a tracker box, a plurality of stationary trackers therein having a number of note channels, individual conduits connected with said channels, a block iixed on the rear of the tracker box and independent of the trackers and receivingi said conduits, and a slide valve on the block for closing,1V said conduits, and movable to a plurality of positions ineach of which itconnects the conduits of only one tracker with the conduits.

2. A pneumatic musical instrument comprising a pluralit)v of sets of note conduits,

and a movable valve for closing` said conduits, said valve having' a singleI series of passages adapted to be connected with the conduits of either set for opening,I them t'lccording` to the position of the valve.

I3. In a pneumatic musical instrument, the com|` ination of a tracker box, a stationary block iixed to the rear thereof, a plurality of series of note conduits and a series of action 'conduits entering' said block, a valve havingr means for controlling the connection' of the note conduits with the series of action conduits, and means for opcratingsaid valve havinga handle or knob located within the tracker-box.

4. lna pneun'ratic musical instrument, the combination of a plurality of sets of note conduits, a block into which said note conduits enter, said llock havinpr a surface in which the conduitsV terminate, another set of conduits entering said block and 4terminating in the same surface. for connecting the iirst Therefore, l do named conduits with the action', and a valve movable along said surface for controlling the connection of the last set. of conduits with any one of the sets of. conduits.

5. In a pneumatic musical instrument, the combination of a tracker-box, a block fixed to the rear thereof, a pluralit i of sets of note channels passingl into said block, said block havingl a surface in which said note conduits tern'iinate, channels leadingr to the action from said block and terminating also in said surface, a slide valve having a series of openings always communicating with said conduits to the action in all positions of the valve, and having a series of passages communicatintg; with' said note conduits in different positions of the valve, and means for operating said valve.

6. In a pneumatic musical instrument, the combination of a tracker-box, a stationary block iixed on the. rear thereof, a plurality of series of note conduits enteringl said block, a single series of action conduits entering said block, a slide valve for controlling,r the connection of the action conduits with the dit ferent series of note conduits, springs for holding said valve to its seat, and means for operatingl said valve comprising a slide extendimgr through the end of the. tracker-box and having a handle or knob located Within the tracker-box.

7. ln a pneumatic musical instrument, the

f THOMAS DANQUARD.

Witnesses z H. J. FREY, A. H. Karren 

